File Types Manager

[Yashied]

LAST VERSION - 1.3

22-May-11

File Types Manager (FTM) is designed to viewing and editing properties (type name, icon, context menu, etc.) of the registered file types. This is something that is present in Windows XP by default and is available from the menu of any folder, but for some unknown reason is not in the Windows Vista/7. Instead, there is a very stupid tool named "Set Associations" where you can not change the type name, icon, context menu, and other usefull parameters. Since I often have to edit the file types, I decided to remedy this lack and write analog of the "File Types" dialog window (Windows XP).

According to the written above, FTM will be useful only for "happy" users of Windows Vista/7. The program may not work correctly in Windows XP, so do not try to run it, and this is meaningless, XP has its own tool. FTM carefully working with the registry: if for any reason, changes can not be saved in the registry, will be shown a detailed log with an expanded description of the problem. Although I tested FTM long enough, I decided to give the Beta status (although version 1.0). I think it makes no sense to write in detail how FTM works. Everything is simple and intuitive.

BTW, for ease to use, you can import to the registry the following .reg file. That adds the "File Types ..." item to the context menu for all files, and FTM will automatically moves on the file type (if registered) into the list, corresponding to the selected file.

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\*\shell\Types]
@=hex(2):40,00,25,00,53,00,79,00,73,00,74,00,65,00,6d,00,52,00,6f,00,6f,00,74,
  00,25,00,5c,00,53,00,79,00,73,00,74,00,65,00,6d,00,33,00,32,00,5c,00,46,00,
  54,00,4d,00,2e,00,65,00,78,00,65,00,2c,00,2d,00,36,00,30,00,30,00,30,00,00,
  00
"HasLUAShield"=""

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\*\shell\Types\command]
@=hex(2):25,00,53,00,79,00,73,00,74,00,65,00,6d,00,52,00,6f,00,6f,00,74,00,25,
  00,5c,00,53,00,79,00,73,00,74,00,65,00,6d,00,33,00,32,00,5c,00,46,00,54,00,
  4d,00,2e,00,65,00,78,00,65,00,20,00,22,00,25,00,31,00,22,00,00,00

As usualy, I will be glad to any feedback and suggestions.

 

License

Supported operating systems

Windows Vista, 7

Files to download

Installer (recommended)

Redirection to FTM_setup.zip, 852 KB

FTM_setup.html

Binary

Redirection to FTM_bin.zip, 546 KB

FTM_bin.html

Source

Redirection to FTM_source.zip, 671 KB

FTM_source.html

Edited December 8, 2013 by Yashied

[taietel]

Nice job Yashied! Looks very good so far!

Thank you! (for WinApiExUDF also)

I'll take a closer look when I get back home.

[wraithdu]

I had a project for the same reasons quite some time ago. I guess I never posted it on the forum. Feel free to borrow anything you might like from it, I doubt I'll be doing anything with it any time soon. But it has always worked pretty much perfectly for me in XP/Vista/7.

ArkeType

[Yashied]

taietel, wraithdu

Thanks.

[Yashied]

The program has been updated to v1.1.

Changes

• Added ability to create and delete file types.
• Added ability to export registry data about a selected file type into the .reg file.
• Added full support for Drag-and-Drop for all windows of the program (for each dialog window it works differently).
• Added highlighting (light gray) of the file types for which are not defined names.
• Added tooltips for some GUI elements.
• Fixed several minor bugs.

[Mat]

Theres a few that I can't edit... I know that when I edit the registry manually it makes no difference either. Do you know what could be using it instead?

[Yashied]

Do you know what could be using it instead?

Instead of what?

[wraithdu]

@Mat

Gonna need more info. File type info can be in both HKLM and HKCU, where HKCU will override any identical settings in HKLM.

[Mat]

Well, It's for .php files

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Classes\.php]
@="PHPFile"

[HKEY_USERS\S-1-5-21-1777379783-952228052-1880501250-1000\Software\Classes\.php]
@="PHPFile"

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Classes\.php]
@="PHPFile"

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\.php]
@="PHPFile"

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\PHPFile]

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\PHPFile\default icon]
@="C:\\Programming\\Resources\\Icons\\web icons\\file types\\php.ico"

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\PHPFile\shell]

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\PHPFile\shell\Open]
@="&Open"

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\PHPFile\shell\Open\command]
@="\"C:\\Program Files\\SciTE\\SciTE.exe\" \"%1\""

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\PHPFile\shell\Test]

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\PHPFile\shell\Test\command]
@="\"C:\\Users\\new user\\Desktop\\apache\\PHPTest.exe\" \"%1\""

First, the item is read only in the file type manager. Second, the Open in the menu runs PHPTest not SciTE. I'm not sure what's overriding here.

PHPTest is a program I wrote that will construct the url to the php file e.g. 'http://127.0.0.1/test.php' and execute that.

Mat

[Yashied]

First, the item is read only in the file type manager.

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\FileExts\.php\UserChoice]
"Progid"="PHPFile"

Click on "Restore" button.

Edited September 21, 2010 by Yashied

[Mat]

Ah, thanks a lot, I knew there was an entry I had missed I hadn't thought of clicking restore.

[Yashied]

The program has been updated, version remains unchanged.

Changes

• Added Windows Vista Explorer's style for ListView (see screenshot).
• Improved algorithm of selecting a files and folders when you open the dialog "Open File...".
• Improved algorithm to determine the default icons for registered file types.
• Fixed several minor bugs.

Edited November 24, 2010 by Yashied

[KaFu]

Yashied, this really looks great , is it fine with you if I include it in SMF as an external help app?

[Yashied]

Of course.

[KaFu]

Excellent, thanks a bunch ...

[Beege]

Great job Yashied. Thanks for sharing!

[Yashied]

The program has been updated to v1.2.

Changes

• Increased speed of enumerating a file types in ~3-5 times (maybe more) at program start. This is achieved through to use a cache (two files in the TEMP folder: FTM.dat and FTM.cache). If desired, you can disable the caching in the registry (see "Cache" parameter).
• Added highlighting (red) extensions that use the same registry key (see "HighlightExtensions" parameter).
• Added ability to remove the icon for the selected file type.
• Added ability to jump cursor (CTRL+UP/DOWN) in the ListView within a group of extensions.
• Removed any flicker when displaying icons (16, 32 and 48) for the selected file type.
• Added ability to export a group of extensions to the registry (.reg) file.
• Added support file-extensions.org Web service. If desired, you can use any other Web service (see "WebService" parameter).
• Now when you double click on the file type in the ListView, opens the appropriate registry key.
• Now all program settings located in the "HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Y's\File Types Manager" registry key.
• Added dialog window "About...".
• Fixed several minor bugs.

Edited December 7, 2010 by Yashied

[Mat]

I was wondering if there was a faster way to do it... When you consider that this is a tool I use to change a single entry that is annoying me every now and then, it makes it a bit of a chore with it taking ten secs to load, this now does it in less than 1. I was considering trying to rewrite it in fasm to get it faster, but soon gave up when I realized how much depth this one has.

[Yashied]

I was wondering if there was a faster way to do it... When you consider that this is a tool I use to change a single entry that is annoying me every now and then, it makes it a bit of a chore with it taking ten secs to load, this now does it in less than 1. I was considering trying to rewrite it in fasm to get it faster, but soon gave up when I realized how much depth this one has.

I worked a few days on optimization of the cache algorithm. I am glad that it's someone appreciated. Thanks.

Edited December 7, 2010 by Yashied

[Yashied]

The program has been updated, version remains unchanged.

Changes

• Added Installer (see first post).
• Minor changes in GUI.